Mount Ripinski

The Mount Ripinski is a gold, copper, and iron mine located in Alaska.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

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Site Name

Primary: Mount Ripinski

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Copper
Primary: Iron
Secondary: Platinum
Secondary: Palladium

Location

State: Alaska
District: Juneau (Skagway subdistrict)

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Bornite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Still and others, 1991 (BOM, v. 2, sec. A)

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Possible metamorphic quartz-sulfide veins in association with copper rich metabasalts and an iron-rich ultramafic intrusion (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a?).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The following description is from Still and others (1991). Chalcopyrite-bornite-bearing quartz-calcite veins and chalcopyrite-bearing metabasalt occur in cliffs and in rubble beneath the cliffs on the south side of Mount Ripinski. Almost all of the quartz veins that were sampled contained low gold values, but some veins contained up to 12.0 ppm gold and 3.97% copper. The metabasalt contained up to 0.60 ppm gold and 3.50 % copper. Eighteen of the 27 samples were analyzed for platinum and palladium. They contained from 0.01 to 0.06 ppm palladium and one sample contained 0.01 ppm platinum. This site is immediately north of the Johnson Creek fault which separates metabasalt to the north from Cretaceous ultramafic rocks, including pyroxenite, to the south. Iron deposits associated with pyroxenite are also reported from this general area but no descriptions are given (Redman and others, 1984). The Cretaceous age of the metabasalts (Still and others, 1991; MacKevett and others, 1974) establishes a maximum age for the mineralization. However, based on fossil evidence from the Chilkat Peninsula to the southeast, Plafker, Hudson and Silberling (1979) and Plafker and Hudson (1980) infer a Late Triassic age for the metabasalts.

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Redman and others (1984) refer to a report by Robertson (1956) of a 100-foot adit but were unable to find it.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = Robertson (1956) indicates that several billion tons of material with 2 to 10% iron may exist in this area.

Comment (Geology): Age = Cretaceous or younger, or Late Triassic or younger (Plafker, Hudson and Silberling, 1979; Plafker and Hudson, 1980).

References

Reference (Deposit): Gilbert, W.G., Still, J.C., Burns, L.E., Wier, K.R., and Redman, E.C., 1991, Geochemistry of Haines-Klukwan-Porcupine area, southeastern Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 91-5, 1 sheet, scale 1:63,360, 75 p.

Reference (Deposit): Robertson, E.C., 1956, Magnetite deposits near Klukwan and Haines, southeast Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 132, 37 p.

Reference (Deposit): Still, J.C., 1991, Bureau of Mines mineral investigations in the Juneau mining district, Alaska, 1984 - 1988, v. 2, Detailed mine, prospect, and mineral occurrence descriptions, section A, Haines-Klukwan-Porcupine subarea: U.S. Bureau of Mines of Mines Special Publication, 214 p.

Reference (Deposit): Still, J.C., Hoekzema, R.B., Bundtzen, T.K., Gilbert, W.G., Wier, K.R., Burns, L.E., and Fechner, S.A., 1991, Economic geology of Haines-Klukwan-Porcupine area, southeastern Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 91-4, 156 p., 5 sheets, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Plafker, George, and Hudson, T., 1980, Regional implications of Upper Triassic metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks on the Chilkat Peninsula, southeastern Alaska: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 17, p. 681-689.

Reference (Deposit): Redman, E.C., Retherford, R.M., and Hickok, B.D., 1984, Geology and geochemistry of the Skagway B-2 Quadrangle, southeastern Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 84-31, 34 p., 4 sheets, scale 1:40,000.

Reference (Deposit): Berg, H.C., 1984, Regional geologic summary, metallogenesis, and mineral resources of southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report 84-572, 298 p., 1 plate, scale approx. 1:600,000.

Reference (Deposit): Plafker George, Hudson, T.L., and Silberling, N.J., 1979, Upper Triassic fossils from a sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks on the Chilkat Peninsula, southeastern Alaska, in Johnson, K.M., and Williams, J.R., eds., The United States Geological Survey in Alaska: Accomplishments during 1978: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 804-B, p. B107-B110.

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